


Faustian Bargains

by SlowMercury



Category: Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer, xxxHoLic
Genre: Community: no_true_pair, Edward makes stupid decisions, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-13
Updated: 2015-01-13
Packaged: 2018-03-06 19:28:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3145874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SlowMercury/pseuds/SlowMercury
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Edward and Yuuko make a deal.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Faustian Bargains

“Do you understand the bargain?” the tall, arresting woman in the skintight dress asks. Edward frowns.

“Of course,” he says, trying unsuccessfully for haughty. For God’s sakes, he’s more than a hundred years old – he shouldn’t be feeling like an idiot child. He does, though, and it’s not only because this is the second person in all of his near century as a vampire whose mind he can’t read. 

The look Yuuko gives him is doubtful, but she nods anyway. Edward’s comprehension or lack thereof is obviously not her problem.

“Watanuki!” she hollers, in complete contrast to her previous dignity. _"Watanuki!”_

Edward can feel the approach of a grouchy presence, prickly and explosive, but oddly nice underneath that. Eventually, a thin teenage boy in a frilly apron sticks his head around a corner. He’s only a little younger than Bella, Edward notes with a pang.

“You already drank all the sake,” the boy says peevishly. “If you want more, you’re going to have to wait until I’m finished with dinner and can make an emergency trip to the market.”

The woman pouts. “But Watanuuuuki! That’s not why I called you.”

The boy blinks. “...it isn’t?”

“No,” Yuuko says, making a lightening fast switch back to the imperious and menacing Dimension Witch she’d been when Edward arrived. “Our vampire friend here sold himself to me in exchange for safety. You will show him the ropes.”

“Uh... _what!?”_

“Watanuki is a good boy,” Yuuko tells Edward in a confiding tone, “but he really is rather excitable.”

Unsure how to react to that statement, Edward turns his attention to Yuuko’s spluttering assistant. 

“I am Edward Cullen,” he says politely. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” 

Apparently Edward’s good manners trigger some kind of latent reflex in the assistant, because the boy stops babbling and bows gracefully. “Kimihiro Watanuki,” he introduces himself. “The pleasure is mine.” His outward calmness is a startling contrast to his inner thoughts—Edward is actively trying to shield and he still picks up Watanuki’s incredulous _This guy is a vampire and he sold himself to_ Yuuko _for_ safety _?_ It isn’t the fact that Edward’s a vampire that Watanuki is having trouble with, he just can’t reconcile the idea of “Yuuko” with “safe.” 

“I didn’t buy my own safety,” Edward explains curtly. “It’s for someone else.” Under different circumstances he might be amused by the boy’s confusion, except frankly he’s just given up his freedom on a desperate gamble. Right now he feels like he’ll never laugh again.

“Oh,” Watanuki says, glancing from Edward’s deliberately blank expression to Yuuko’s sly fox grin. “Um, right this way. I’ll show you where the kitchen is, and I guess you’ll have to sleep in the storeroom for now?”

Edward doesn’t bother to explain that he never sleeps.

Later, when Watanuki thinks that Edward is busy, he creeps back to talk to Yuuko. Watanuki is careful to speak quietly, but Edward suspects that Yuuko knows he can hear them anyway.

“Is this really okay?” Watanuki whispers. “Letting someone sell himself into slavery like that?”

“Of course! It’s a fair deal. He’ll get exactly what he pays for.” And suddenly Edward can’t hear them anymore; the Dimension Witch must have worked some magic. In the other room, the conversation continues.

“But...” Watanuki protests.

“Oh, don’t worry so much,” Yuuko says, rolling her eyes. (As always, she somehow makes the gesture look elegant.) “Someone will come along to buy him back soon. His kind never stay long in places like these.”

“You mean vampires?” Watanuki asks.

“No,” Yuuko says in that tone she reserves for when Watanuki has once again missed the obvious. “Lovers.”

**Author's Note:**

> This was written in 2008 for the [no_true_pair community](http://asylums.insanejournal.com/no_true_pair/) prompt "Captivity Scenario." Initially, I had no idea how to do this one because it didn't seem likely, but I'm still pretty satisfied with how it turned out.


End file.
